LED Ice Cubes Detect Alcohol To Warn You Of Over-drinking

Drinking can be quite the dangerous activity when you’ve lost count of how many drinks you’ve had. Sure – pounding down drink after drink can be fun, but the results of those drinks can make for one bummer of an evening or following morning if you’ve lost count. We know you can have your designated driver keep tabs on how many drinks you’ve had, but if they’re sour about not being able to drink for the night, then they can certainly screw you over. You need the power of LEDs to help you know when to stop.

MIT Media Lab researcher Dhairya Dand created the LED ice cubes after a night of alcoholic drinks resulted in a blackout that put him in the hospital. The LED ice cubes detect alcohol and flashes colors based on the amount of drinks you’ve had. They track the number of sips you take and total time spent drinking in order to predict when the user may be intoxicated.

The LED ice cubes may make you look like an alcoholic, but they flash in sync with ambient music and sounds, which pretty much makes your cup a “party cup.” Three colors will show – green, orange and red – to tell the user just how drunk they are. The LED ice cubs can also be used to detect when a user has gone beyond its red level, which results in a text message warning a friend of your drunken escapades.